ON THE COLOR OF COUNTRY HOUSES. 255 



ture avoids. In buildings, we should copy those that she offers 

 chiefly to the eye such as those of the soil, rocks, wood, and the 

 bark of trees, the materials of which houses are built. These ma- 

 terials offer us the best and most natural study from which harmo- 

 nious colors for the houses themselves should be taken. 



Wordsworth, in a little volume on the Scenery of the Lakes, re- 

 marks that the objections to white as a color, in large spots or 

 masses, in landscapes, are insurmountable. He says it destroys the 

 gradations of distances, haunts the eye, and disturbs the repose of 

 nature. To leave some little consolation to the lovers of white lead, 

 we will add that there is one position in which their favorite color 

 may not only be tolerated, but often has a happy effect. We mean 

 in the case of a country house or cottage, deeply imbowered in trees. 

 Surrounded by such a mass of foliage as Spenser describes, 



" In whose enclosed shadow there was set 

 A fair pavilion scarcely to be seen" 



a white building often has a magical effect. But a landscape painter 

 would quickly answer, if he were asked the reason of this exception 

 to the rule, " It is because the building does not appear white." In 

 other words, in the shadow of the foliage by which it is half con- 

 cealed, it loses all the harshness and offensiveness of a white house 

 in an open site. We have, indeed, often felt, in looking at examples 

 of the latter, set upon a bald hill, that the building itself would, if 

 possible, cry out, 



" Hide me from day's garish eye" 



Having entered our protest against the general use of white in 

 country edifices, we are bound to point out what we consider suit- 

 able shades of color. 



We have said that one should look to nature for hints in color. 

 This gives us, apparently, a wide choice of shades, but as we ought 

 properly to employ modified shades, taken from the colors of the 

 materials of which houses are constructed, the number of objects 

 is brought within a moderate compass. Houses are not built 

 of grass, or leaves, and there is, therefore, not much propriety in 



